ARTICLES ABOUT WATER SECTOR BY DATE - PAGE 2

SULTANPUR: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will become the Prime Minister if the third front forms the government at the Centre. "In the Lok Sabha elections, SP will get maximum seats in UP and if the third front forms the government at the Centre, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will become the PM," Akhilesh said while addressing an election rally here. Akhilesh said Mulayam was more experienced than BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as he had been the chief minister several times and had served as the country's defence minister and member of Parliament.

A recent UN report on water has rightly underlined the pressing need for proactive policy to avert a likely crisis in the offing in India given population pressures, pollution and the real possibility of long-term climate change. The report cites expert projections to aver water scarcity and even areas of "severe" stress in the foreseeable future, without sustained reform of India's policy-challenged water economy. And the way ahead is the three-fold task to "hold water where it falls" with extensive rainwater harvesting, tackle widespread water pollution through effective measures nationally, and to put in place norms and incentives for water conservation in agriculture, industry and household usage.

By Ambassador Freddy Svane and Anshul Jain Global changes like population growth, climate variability, ever expanding industrialization and urbanization, often combined with pollution severely affect water availability and lead to chronic water shortages in a growing number of regions. India has been successful in the past to meet such water requirements for different usages with a phenomenal development of water resources. However, preserving the quality and availability of fresh water resources has now become a pressing environment challenge.

NEW DELHI: Expelled AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny today announced withdrawing support to the Delhi Government and accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of being "more dangerous" than a corrupt person who is telling "lies" and "deceiving" people. With withdrwal of support by Binny, the support for AAP has shrunk to 37, one more than the required majority of 36 in the 70-member House. Besides eight Congress MLAs, the government has been given outside support by a Janata Dal (United)

NEW DELHI: Expelled AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny on Wednesday decided to withdraw support to the Delhi government, while terming chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of being "more dangerous" than a corrupt person. "Today I am writing to lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung apprising him of my decision to withdraw support to Kejriwal government. Kejriwal is more dangerous than a corrupt person. He is telling lies and deceiving not only citizens of Delhi, but also people of the entire country," he said.

MUMBAI: Japanese electronic goods giant Toshiba will purchase a 26% stake from its existing shareholders, including private equity investor, India Value Fund, in the unlisted water and waste management company, UEM India , two people with direct knowledge of the development said. The deal signals the continued interest by Japanese firms to buy companies in the second-largest Asian economy with Hitachi Corporation buying out Indian automated teller machine (ATM) maker Prism Payments, in November.

NEW DELHI: Observing that the current legal framework pertaining to water is non-uniform and inadequate, President Pranab Mukherjee today batted for an overarching legal framework to deal with the existing complex situation. "A broad over-arching national legal framework of general principles on water could pave the way for essential legislation on water governance in the country," he said. He was speaking after inaugurating the Second India Water Forum organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

The Draft National Water Framework Bill , 2013, seeks welcome policy focus for India's stressed water economy , generally characterised by poor governance, inadequate infrastructure and scanty public services. The draft law proposes an explicit system of rights to water â€" for domestic use, irrigation, industries, etc â€" and a transparent, participative approach to develop and manage both river basins and groundwater levels. Such an approach makes eminent sense, as reform in the water sector must necessarily be a consultative, consensual process, rather than a mechanical exercise, given the sheer volume of resources, financial and otherwise, required over the medium term and well beyond.

NEW DELHI: The government's move to set up National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency will help in efficient use of water in various sectors and bring stakeholders for a co-ordinated effort, according to beverages and snacks major PepsiCo India. "India is a water stressed geography and we believe that there is a need for establishing standards and benchmarks for efficient water use by all sectors and a framework for incentivising and rewarding those who promote water use efficiency in all sectors including industry and agriculture," the company said in a statement.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition LDF in Kerala has registered its strong protest against the move of the Congress-led UDF government to privatise drinking water sector with the formation of a company. In a statement here, the LDF state committee said the government's decision to form a company with private participation for drinking water supply was intended to make drinking water a private sector commodity and "sabotaged" the Kerala Water Supply Act passed in the Assembly in 1986.